Convertible motor vehicles require the use of roll bars to protect the occupants of the car should the car roll over. Traditional roll bars used in convertibles were typically unsightly and obtrusive tubular frameworks that were attached to the chassis of the vehicle in a manner which used valuable interior space of the passenger compartment and otherwise detracted from the aesthetic qualities associated with the "open air" aspect of the convertible. Therefore, it became desirable to have pop up-type roll bar members which remain hidden and out of the way during a rest position and pivot to the desired overhead work position when required.
A convertible motor vehicle which has a roll bar which can be moved independently from a control device from its rest position into its operating position is known for example, from German patent specification (DE-PS 37 32 562). The roll bar of this patent document has a rest position whereby the roll bar lies flat in the region of the hat shelf behind the backseat. In operation, the roll bar pivots about an axis from this rest position into its operating position. The convertible includes known means for detecting a dangerous body roll condition in order to trigger the pivotal release of the roll bar. A dangerous situation arises with this type of device when either the head or arm of a rear seated passenger is in the way of the pivot path of the roll bar at the time of its release from its rest position. Ironically, fatal injury to the rear seated passenger may occur during the operation of the very same safety device that is intended to save the passengers' life.
Accordingly, there is a great need in the art to provide a roll bar for use in convertible motor vehicles wherein the hazard of the above described injury to rear seated passengers will be avoided. In addition, there is a need in the art to provide a roll bar for use in combination with convertible-type motor vehicles, wherein the roll bar is mountable in a space-saving manner to the vehicle chassis without the need for separate mounting points so that valuable interior compartment space is not used when the roll bar is in its rest position.